The Sly One and the Shield Maiden
by GreetingsDearie
Summary: In viking era Norway Loki has watched from Asgard as one viking female in particular has grown from a child into a woman. As a man who has cared little for humans in the past why does this one intrigue him so? When he lands on earth to find out truths will be revealed that will change everything. Could this be the woman that will make him more man than god?


**/ So, I have been obsessing over Norse mythology and all manner of Viking age stuff at the moment thanks to college so I said I would give this a go. If its received well I might make it into a proper story but we shall see! This will take place during the era of Vikings before they started raiding and travelling.**

It was rare that he was ever truly intrigued by a human. Did they amuse him? To no end, he loved watching the Viking folk live their day to day lives from the comfort of Asgard. How could he not? They spent their days drinking, feasting, fighting and sleeping together. What made him enjoy them all the more was their utter devotion to the gods, even to him whom they often referred to as 'the sly one'. Praising the gods only made them stronger and they were currently at full strength, every day the people prayed to the gods and every day the gods answered. Lately, he had cast his gaze on another. A girl, he had seen her in passing for her entire life. She featured greatly to him as she was full of mischief. She was always playing tricks on the townsfolk which lead them to also call her 'the sly one'. There was a touch of madness to her, a madness he had often seen in himself truth be told. She aided her father in his boat building and did some light trading in the town but she was also learning to become a shield maiden. Loki enjoyed shield maidens greatly. Not only were they strong women but they were also known to be more ballsy than the men on the battlefield. He saw the potential in that one to be a great shield maiden and even found himself investing some of his time in watching her progress. Not that he would openly admit such foolishness to any of his peers.

He kept an eye on her every couple of months his curiosity getting the better of him. He watched her grow from a teenager into a woman. Even as a woman she was still up to mischief, he laughed often at her tricks. When she let livestock loose during a wedding, when she replaced all the black smith's tools with tree branches, when she dressed up as his own father Odin and tried to scare the warriors in the village. Yes, she was unlike the other humans, she had a touch of something else about her.

His father had gone down to visit his people often, of course he was in a disguise but what was to stop him? If he could do it and if his brother could do it surely, he could too? He would never ask, why should he? He was a god! A very good one at that. No one could trick Asgards mightiest heroes quite like him. He could have them tripping over their own boots in seconds. He would go; besides he had not travelled by Bifrost in quite some time.

As Loki sauntered towards the Bifrost with that usual egotistical air about him Heimdall came into view. There he stood, loyal as always.

"What can I do for you Loki." He said his hands gripping his sword a little tighter at the sight of the mischievous god.

"I would like to make a quick trip down to earth. I fancy a bit of Nordic air." He said moving to make his way past him only to be halted.

"If I allow you to enter the earth realm you must not interfere with the humans in any way. You must be but a bystander in their daily lives Loki do you understand?" Heimdall said in his powerful booming voice.

"Come now, I know the rules. I simply fancy a stroll amongst my beloved people is that so much of an ask? You allow it of my father and brother I hope there is no favouritism floating around in that brilliant mind of yours?"

He did not even dignify him with a reply, instead he raised his mighty sword and opened up the Bifrost to him. Loki merely gave him a nod of appreciation and in seconds he was on his way. Moving and whirling through the swift technicolour vortex he landed with ease along the shore of the sleepy little Viking town in Norway. He changed his outfit to appear as that of just another Viking man passing through the town for trading purposes.

The town was alive with people, drinking, trading, fighting. Oh, how he adored Vikings. As he was passing through the various stalls he was looking for only one. Each one was much the same, weapons… woven clothes, livestock, shields… Then there was hers. A small stall compared to the rest but popular amongst the locals. It had a wealth of handmade jewellery ranging from shell necklaces to wooden earrings. Then his sights set on the woman herself. She was different face to face, he was not expecting her to look so… Well. Humans paled in comparison to the divine beauty of a god but she was one like no other. Her hair was as long as the rest of the women's falling easily to her hips but the curls were wild and free flowing now secured back in braids like everyone else's, it was also a mixture of vibrant red and light blonde, they mixed together in the most perfect unison. Her eyes were a dark green, as green as the leaves on the trees in spring. She was petite, like a doll, a doll that could land you on your ass as he had witnessed her do to many a man over the years. She wore a dress similar to most of the folk in the town, it was a deep emerald green and had a leather belt holding it in around her slender waist. What an intriguing human indeed.

"Torvi you have no money away with you." He heard her voice chime in quiet irritation.

"No, I do today, those earrings you made have been calling my name I must call them my own so I offer you a trade. One of my sheep for the earrings. A very fair price."

"What am I to do with a sheep? Do I look like a farmer to you? Shall I ride it into battle? Please Torvi come back to me when you have something decent to trade or some money, now away with you before I drown you in the sea you are wearing on my patience." She said rolling her eyes as the other female stormed off her disgruntled sheep in tow.

He approached with earnest his eyes taking in the crafts she had created before taking her in herself. "That was a foolish thing to do that looked to be a delicious sheep." He said with a wily grin as his long pale fingers traced along the intricate crafts before him.

"I am not in the business of trading animals for my stuff, besides, blood is a chore to get from one's clothes, I would not waste my belongings to eat one sheep. I am sorry I don't believe I have seen you around here before. What is your name?" She asked eyeing him suspiciously. The chieftain of her town had been warring with the chieftain of another, everyone was weary of newcomers for fear they might be spies.

"I am… Bjorn. I am just passing through I am a trader myself. And you are?"

"Turid." She said bluntly. It made him laugh, her name was not uncommon by any means but this particular name belonging to her was very amusing indeed.

"My name amuses you?"

"It is just Turid, meaning good looking? Your parents were not very inventive were they."

"Well what can I say, they called it like they saw it." She retorted. This one certainly had fire in her belly. He knew she did but seeing it for the first time after merely observing for so long was quite the treat.

"Are you going to buy anything? I want to close."

"In a hurry, are we?"

"Why yes as it happens, there is a tankard of ale with my name on it. I would hate to keep it waiting."

"Well then, allow me to try and trade you something worth more to you than a sheep. I will take one item of your jewellery and in exchange I will get you as many tankards of ale as you feel the piece is worth."

He could tell by the look upon her face that she was intrigued by the offer. But would she take him up on it? He hoped so, there were so many questions he had wanted to ask her, so much more he desired to find out about her that he could not from merely peering into her life every couple of weeks. She was thinking about it. He could tell by how she was scrunching up her nose that she was.

"Ok then, have at it. Which one would you like."

Ah that was the answer he was looking for. His eyes glanced down at the table, in all honesty he did not care for any of it, it was merely a ploy to speak to the human in a more intimate setting. He pretended to take the choice seriously before landing on a simple bracelet. It was a leather strap with a series of small wooden beads on it all with an individual rune. One was for luck, another for wealth, another for love… There were many on it and he knew something with runes on it would fetch a fair price.

"That one? That one will cost you." She smirked her hands going to rest on her hips.

"Well then I hope you are very thirsty."

"Clearly you do not know just how much ale I can drink. Just because I am a girl does not mean I cannot drink just as much as you men." She said as she packed away her trinkets into small baskets and placed them under her stall. He knew all too well that she could drink many a man under the table.

He just hoped the ale loosened her tongue as much as he hoped. There was a reason this human had caught his eye and tonight he was determined to find out exactly what that reason was.

/ **So what do we think, why is Loki intrigued by just a run of the mill human?! YOU WILL SEE. Well maybe, if people want me to keep writing it. If not… I dunno, ya snooze ya lose?**


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